First championship winner

Amid some 350 boats entered in the Voiles de St-Tropez last week, Team Magic Carpet2 took first place in both the individual FT Wally Grand Prix regatta as well as the 2011 series overall.

Very light winds made conditions extremely difficult and prohibited most classes from racing. However, thanks to the scale, design and lightweight materials of Wally yachts, the Wally Class enjoyed five closely competed races.

The final series result was decided with just one point separating the two leading teams. The close contest between Team Magic Carpet2 and Team Y3K in the waters off Pampelonne Beach provided plenty of drama; two formal protests added extra heat to the flames of competition and the final result was defined only in the last few moments of the summer.

Wally Class Manager, Paolo Massarini said: “It has been an incredible series, very competitive and highly demanding for the crews taking part. Despite the intense racing spirit, it has been contested with great sportsmanship by all of the teams and there has been a wonderful atmosphere wherever the Wally fleet has come together.”

He continued, “There has been a tremendous level of international interest across the 21 races this season and partially thanks to two important new racing classes, Wally//Cento and Wally//Otto, we have seen a number of new owners keen to join the Wally racing fleet.”

Luca Bassani Antivari, Wally Founder and President, commented, “The Wally Class is already the largest fleet of Maxi racing yachts and the new Wally//Cento and Wally//Otto boats will add further excitement to the world of Wally racing. With such close results this year the series has become a real competitive showcase of international sailing talent and a fantastic experience both on and off the water.”

Wally Chairman and CEO, John Hunt, continued, “The FT Wally Grand Prix Series offers a unique ‘pro-am’ experience in which a team owner takes the helm of a high performance racing machine crewed by some of the world’s best talent. There’s really nothing like it in any other sport and that is why we are seeing such strong growth from new entrants in this exceptional series.”

The series is sponsored by the Financial Times and Wally.

Dates for the 2012 Grand Prix Series will be announced within the next few months.

The FT Wally Grand Prix Series is a unique series of races on the largest fleet of Maxi racing yachts in the world, featuring premier sailing talent from the America's Cup and Olympics. The sailing yachts represent the largest fleet of performance boats over 80 feet, the Wally Class, that is internationally recognised in the world’s most important regattas for super yachts.